Operation Pitchblende

Through regular channels, Delta Green directs the PCs to Philadelphia on a Monday morning in autumn. William Augustine, the Chester County Coroner (and DG friendly), reports that he has an “unusual corpse” in his custody. Although the agents receive protocols for confirming their status with Augustine, they have no other official cover or investigative duties.

Augustine identified the body as Rear Admiral Eugene Carruth, yet a quick internet search shows that the officer remains alive and well in his post at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia.

What’s a win for Delta Green? Decide how many Carruths should be dead, and destroy any evidence that there was more than one body. The leadership will defer to the agents’ judgement in accomplishing these tasks.

The Stiff

The body was found a few blocks from the coroner’s office, at West Chester Recycling. Employee Melissa Pierce noticed it on the previous Friday morning and called 911. Once Trooper Eddie LoTempio secured the site, Augustine retrieved it with a state vehicle and brought it to the morgue himself. There was no ID, jewelry or a phone, and it wore nondescript clothing.

He freely offers the agents access to his office. He listed “natural” as the cause of death, but conducted no autopsy absent grounds for one (neither an official request nor suspicion of foul play). He estimated a time of death from noon Thursday to 6 AM the following Friday. Using IAFIS he accurately matched the John Doe’s fingerprints with Carruth’s, who was printed when he joined the Navy (extra-paranoid agents can delete his inquiry from the FBI database, too). Anyone who compares the Carruths’ sets of fingerprints discovers they are identical, causing a 1/1d3 Sanity loss from the Unnatural.

The body appears genuine in all respects, whether or not an autopsy is done. Other than being dead, there are no signs of the Unnatural. A failed Forensics roll during an examination or autopsy offers no answers, but may cast suspicion on Augustine (on a critical failure the agent believes that something the size of a micro SD card was removed from an incision in the left armpit. Later examinations won’t corroborate this, causing a 0/1 Sanity loss from helplessness).
If asked why he wasn’t specific with Delta Green, Augustine confesses that his story makes him sound nuts - but he’s more worried that the agents might conclude he’s part of the problem. A failed HUMINT roll just makes him seem evasive.

The living version of Admiral Carruth hasn’t acted unusually. His posh Chester Springs address is easily obtainable. He is an infrequent user of social media, most often commenting about golf on Twitter. His wife’s Facebook account contains unremarkable family pictures.

Paper Chase

There are two official records of the John Doe: the 911 log of when the body was discovered (in the dispatch office), and the corpse intake form (in the coroner’s office). Both locations are in the county government services building. Augustine has 90 days to file a Report of Death, but the agents can convince him not to if they remove documentary evidence of the body (if they fail a relevant roll, he listens to the agents, but they get the feeling he’ll file one nonetheless). He lets agents destroy or remove paperwork regarding the corpse, but will not aid them with its disposal or offer them county resources to do so. If agents help themselves, he will eventually report any damage or overt signs of misuse “by unknown persons.” Agents can also alter the date of death on the forms if a paper trail is desirable.

Melissa Pierce will truthfully answer questions placed by purported law enforcement personnel. She found the body atop a stack of washers, just over the fence near a corner of the salvage yard away from camera coverage, where a guard dog was barking at it. LoTempio followed standard procedure and corroborates both sides of the story.

An inoperable Chevy Impala with Delaware plates was parked outside the fence, away from camera coverage, where customers sometimes leave junkers after hours. Agents who trace the VIN find that it was sold at auction 5 months ago, after being damaged in a flood 3 years earlier. The buyer paid cash and provided a false name and Wilmington address. There is no registration in the car, which has been wiped clean of prints and shows no signs of violence within. It’s now inside the recycling yard, destined for the car crusher shortly.

Retracing Carruth’s steps since the discovery shows that he was at the Clipper Thursday night, worked Friday, golfed at Merion on Saturday, and attended the Zoar Valley AME church that Sunday. He is working at NISMF when the scenario starts.

Busy Schedule, for a Dead Guy

A Bureaucracy roll secures an appointment with Carruth at the Philadelphia Naval Yard in 5-10 days through his secretary, Valentina McMillan. She maintains the admiral’s schedule, if the agents decide to review it.

Carruth leads a humdrum life; agents who surveil him establish this fairly quickly. Divide the observation into four periods - morning, afternoon, evening, overnight - if the agents want to regiment this. Each watcher or team can roll their skill of choice during a period; Driving, SIGINT, or Stealth are logical choices depending on their approach. On a success, use dice of increasing sizes to determine his upcoming routine (see below). A critical failure means that Carruth notices something suspicious, and may take action.

Use the accompanying table to determine Carruth’s routine. Handlers can decide or roll an initial d6 to determine what he does day to day. A low number indicates a change in his routine, requiring a new surveillance roll.

	Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
Morning	church [hunting 1]	NISMF	NISMF	NISMF	NISMF	NISMF [golf 1-3]	Yardwork [golf 1-3]
Afternoon	Home [golf 1]	NISMF	NISMF	NISMF	NISMF	NISMF [home 1-2]	Home
Evening	Home	Home [bar 1]	Home [bar 1]	Home [bar 1]	Bar [home 1-2]	Restaurant [home 1-2]	Restaurant [home 1-3]

Carruth stays home during overnight periods. On weekdays while he works, Sherilyn will leave the house 0-2 times for 20-120 minute stretches.

A master-at-arms drives him to and from work. If Carruth becomes worried about abductions, he and his bodyguard can draw Kevlar vests and/or an M4.

There is a chance (3%/Handler’s discretion) that he will take the Acela from Philadelphia to the Pentagon each week. Roll d4 to see when (Mon-Thu) he travels; he returns that night and remains home the following day. Lt. McMillan notes these trips in the admiral’s schedule.

Carruth belongs to three country clubs in the area: Aronimink, Llanerch, and Merion. He plays at one random course with 0-3 (pedantically 3d2-3) partners. Agents who peruse a club’s schedule can pinpoint his choice in advance and bribe a ranger to join his foursome. He won’t hunt and play golf on the same Sunday.

He hunts with 1-6 companions on Sunday mornings, either deer (with a rifle) or ducks (with a shotgun). Both weapons are securely stored at his home.

On Thursdays his work cohort (an additional 2-7 people including driver) frequents the Clipper, a bar close to the Naval Yard, favored by NISMF personnel. Dinners out will be at higher-quality establishments near Chester Springs.

The Handler should entertain any reasonable plan to detain Carruth; that’s the point of the scenario. The living admiral certainly thinks he is genuine, and nothing will convince him otherwise. He’ll cry if he sees his own corpse, but that’s not otherwise enlightening.

Anyone who interacts with Carruth after seeing his corpse loses 0/1 Sanity from the Unnatural

Operation BLEND PITCH

Although the scenario presumes the real admiral was killed and replaced, that’s not the strictly necessary (or even relevant) conclusion. Depending on paranoid players, it’s possible that the group will suspect the body was planted. If agents fail skill rolls while reviewing Augustine’s work, imply that he made poor mistakes - perhaps a form looks falsified, or usual procedure was ignored. Is someone trying to identify Delta Green agents and methods?

Here are other ideas for Handlers to cast suspicion either way:

Carruth suffered a shrapnel wound as a petty officer aboard the USS Stark in 1987. Perusal of his service history or medical records recounts its existence. It does not impair him or any way - nor is the scar visible without an intimate physical examination. A scar on the corpse will be obvious, but it’s a little trickier getting the living admiral to drop his pants.

Since last Saturday Carruth doesn’t play golf well enough to justify his 6 handicap. Agents may notice this, or recent partners may mention it.

In the last few days, his wife Sherilyn has noticed a change in his behavior. Agents bugging the house may hear her express this on the phone or in an argument with him.

One/both Carruths has a microchip of unknown nature and staggering complexity implanted in his left armpit; discovery costs 0/1 Sanity from helplessness.

NPCs

RADM Eugene Carruth, USN
Worse stats when dead
STR 12 CON 11 DEX 13 INT 14 POW 15 CHA 12
HP 11 WP 15 SAN 75 BREAKING POINT 60
ARMOR: 3 points from a Kevlar vest
SKILLS: Alertness 50%, Athletics 45%, Bureaucracy 60%, Firearms 50%, HUMINT 40%, Melee Weapons 30%, Persuade 40%, Search 50%, Unarmed Combat 30%
ATTACKS: Remington .308 rifle 50% (Damage 1D12+2), Mossberg 500 .410 shotgun 50% (Damage 2d10), Unarmed 50% (Damage 1D4)

William Augustine, Chester County Coroner
Signed his own death certificate
STR 12 CON 12 DEX 10 INT 10 POW 14 CHA 11
HP 12 WP 14 SAN 70 BREAKING POINT 56
SKILLS: Alertness 50%, Bureaucracy 50%, Criminology 40%, Drive 40%, Forensics 55%, Firearms 40%, HUMINT 30%, Law 40%, Medicine 35%, Melee Weapons 40%, Persuade 50%, Search 40%, Unarmed Combat 50%
ATTACKS: Glock .40 pistol 40% (damage 1D10), Unarmed 50% (damage 1D4−1)

Lieutenant Valentina McMillan, USN
One woman general staff
STR 11 CON 13 DEX 13 INT 14 POW 16 CHA 12
HP 12 WP 16 SAN 80 BREAKING POINT 64
SKILLS: Alertness 50%, Bureaucracy 50%, Firearms 50%, HUMINT 40%, Persuade 40%, Search 50%, Unarmed Combat 30%
ATTACKS: Beretta M9 9mm pistol 50% (Damage 1D10), Unarmed 30% (Damage 1D4-1)

Combatant
Master-at-arms or Trooper LoTempio
STR 14 CON 13 DEX 12 INT 11 POW 12 CHA 10
HP 14 WP 10 SAN 60 BREAKING POINT 48
ARMOR: 3 points from a Kevlar vest
SKILLS: Alertness 50%, Dodge 40%, Drive Auto 75%, Firearms 50%, HUMINT 40%, Law 30%, Melee Weapons 50%, Persuade 40%, Search 50%, Unarmed Combat 50%
ATTACKS: Beretta M9 9mm pistol 50% (Damage 1D10), M4 .556 carbine 50% (Damage 1d12), Mossberg 500 .410 shotgun 50% (Damage 2d10), Unarmed 50% (Damage 1D4)

Housewife
Melissa Pierce or Sherilyn Carruth
STR 10 CON 10 DEX 11 INT 11 POW 14 CHA 13
HP 10 WP 14 SAN 70 BREAKING POINT 56
SKILLS: Alertness 50%, Drive 40%, HUMINT 30%, Search 40%, Unarmed Combat 30%.
ATTACKS: Unarmed 30% (damage 1D4−1)

Golf Buddy
Moves the ball when no one’s looking
STR 12 CON 12 DEX 10 INT 10 POW 14 CHA 11
HP 12 WP 14 SAN 70 BREAKING POINT 56
SKILLS: Alertness 50%, Athletics 40%, Persuade 50%, Search 40%, Unarmed Combat 40%.
ATTACKS: Golf club 40% (damage 1D6-1), Unarmed 50% (damage 1D4−1)

Hunting Buddy
A better shot than Dick Cheney
STR 12 CON 12 DEX 10 INT 10 POW 14 CHA 11
HP 12 WP 14 SAN 70 BREAKING POINT 56
SKILLS: Alertness 55%, Firearms 45%, Persuade 50%, Search 40%, Stealth 35%, Unarmed Combat 40%.
ATTACKS: Remington .308 rifle 45% (Damage 1D12+2), Mossberg 500 .410 shotgun 45% (Damage 2d10), Unarmed 40% (Damage 1D4-1)

Sailor, USN
Your typical swabbie
STR 12 CON 14 DEX 12 INT 10 POW 13 CHA 11
HP 13 WP 13 SAN 65 BREAKING POINT 52
SKILLS: Alertness 40%, Athletics 40%, Bureaucracy 50%, Criminology 40%, Drive 40%, Forensics 55%, Firearms 40%, HUMINT 30%, Law 40%, Medicine 35%, Melee Weapons 40%, Persuade 50%, Search 40%, Unarmed Combat 50%
ATTACKS: Beretta M9 9mm pistol 50% (Damage 1D10), Unarmed 50% (Damage 1D4)

Credits

This was an entry to the 2021 shotgun scenario contest. Written by Michael Daumen

The scenario can be seen in its original google docs form here